Page 89 of Of Magic and Rum
Dad grumbles and flicks his wrist at me to continue. “Everyone, this is Captain Jack Rackham. Jack, this is my father, Poseidon, brother, Triton, and my—” I pause, eyeing my mother’s hopeful expression. “—mother, Amphitrite.”
My mother is pleased by this but reins in her excitement and clasps her hands over her mouth.
“And now that you have a name,” Dad continues, moving closer to Jack.
Jack stands confidently, not like a man about to be impaled by a trident. “I understand a pirate wouldn’t necessarily be your first choice for your daughter. And I realize I make adishonestliving, but it’s a living nonetheless, and I’m quite good at it.”
Dad stops in front of Jack, sizing him up and hanging his arm between two trident prongs. “Do you care for her?”
“Sir, I’d put her life before mine despite my mortality.” Jack presses a hand to his chest and doesn’t lose eye contact with my father.
Standing on my tip-toes, I side-bend between them. “It’s true. He almost drowned once because of it, the crazy bastard.” I give Jack a grin, which he returns.
“And let’s not forget he almost got eaten by the Charybdis,” my brother adds, making me love him that much more. “That was idiotically heroic, by the way.”
Jack bows his head at Triton. “Thank you.”
“You understand what it means to be with one of us, Rackham?” Dad’s cheek spasms, and he tosses his long hair aside.
He knows something that he isn’t letting on yet. I’d recognize that face anywhere because I know my father better than anyone.
“No,” Jack answers. “But I know what it’s like to be with Anne, and I couldn’t dream of being with anyone else.”
My heart topples over itself, and I wrap an arm around Jack’s waist because I genuinely can’t help myself. My mother grins warmly at this interaction while Dad fights everything to not look at it.
“She’s immortal. This means she won’t age, andyouwill. If your ‘heroic’ deeds don’t get you killed one day beforehand, she’ll have to watch you die of old age.” Dad’s expression turns stony.
Seas. I’ve been meaning to have this conversation with Jack. We’ve just been too busy trying to stay alive.
Jack nods slowly, his eyes panning to my arm around him. “I’ll take whatever time I can get with her, so long as that’s something she can live with.” His honeyed eyes meet mine, and there’s genuine concern there.
Dad and I share a glance because I know he’s fishing for the approval of bringing up the alternative or not. But I can’t yet, not like this. I want it to be Jack’s choice and his alone, without the possible pressure of my entire family staring at him and waiting for his answer.
“I’ll take whatever time I can get.” I comb a rogue strand of dark hair from Jack’s forehead and secure it behind his ear.
“Good.” Dad wrings his hands around the trident’s handle like he’s about to give bad news. “Because you two have a—” A deep sigh pushes from his lungs, and a hint of an eye roll follows. “—fated bond.”
The world around me grinds to a screeching halt.
Jack bends to my ear, still looking at my father. “Am I supposed to know what that is?”
My mother is positively jubilant as she trots over, gasping. “Do you think Atlantis knew of it? Her coming here was bydesign?”
It’s all becoming more evident with each passing moment.
“It makes sense,” Triton adds, his expression swirling with hesitation and pride.
I turn to face Jack and take his hands. “Those little moments we’ve had that we couldn’t explain? After our first kiss? The way you somehow found me when Nøkk kidnapped me?”
“What?” Dad growls, stepping forward, but stops when my mother gives a quick head shake and slaps his chest.
Jack circles my knuckles with his thumbs and nods his head, listening. “So, this bond gives us a special connection somehow? Jack and Anne weremeantto be together?” The cockiness melting into his grin at this is charming me all over again.
“And the connection will be stronger once it’s accepted,” Dad adds.
We turn our gazes to the sea king.
“And Rhode, I’d feel better if you did because I have a sinking feeling you’re not coming back with us?” Dad’s frown is slightly masked by his beard but still noticeable.
